PowerSchool Job Aid

For School Staff

Accepting Parent

Portal Updates Version 2.0

December 11, 2017

PowerSchool

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PowerSchool Accepting Parent Portal Updates – For School Staff Page 1

About Parent Portal Updates

A new feature in the PowerSchool Parent Portal will allow parent/guardians to submit changes to select information for their student(s) online, or confirm that all information is correct and no changes are needed. Submissions made by parent/guardians are placed in a queue for review and approval by school site staff. Once approved, any changes are applied to PowerSchool.

Benefits of this new feature in PowerSchool

Convenience for parent/guardian: Changes or confirmations are made online instead of visiting the school office and filling out paperwork.

Accuracy of information: Because changes are updated electronically, errors from manually entering information are eliminated.

Timeliness of changes: Online accessibility makes it easier to spot and update out-of-date and incorrect information.

Less paperwork for all involved: Schools use PowerSchool to review and approve changes made through the Parent Portal instead of processing paper forms.

School Site determines which changes to approve

After the parent/guardian updates and submits changes to their student’s information, the school site determines which changes will be accepted.

Parent/guardians are required to provide documentation for changes to student name and household address. This documentation must be provided PRIOR to accepting these changes.

IMPORTANT! Do not accept changes if the required documentation has not been provided.

When you choose to accept some changes and not others, the values of the changes you do not accept will be discarded when you submit the page. This is important to keep in mind especially when you have changes to student names or home addresses.

For example, you may choose to accept an update made to emergency contacts, but because the required documentation was not provided, an address change is not accepted. Once you submit the page, the contact information will be updated in PowerSchool, but the change to the address will be ignored and discarded. If the parent/guardian provides documentation at a later date, changes are made to the student’s Demographics page in PowerSchool, or the parent/guardian can resubmit the update through the Parent Portal.

BEST PRACTICE! Contact the parent/guardian when you see they have made changes to the student address prior to accepting their changes.

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Parent Portal Update Security Role

Before Parent Portal Update submissions can be reviewed and approved, you must have the appropriate security role. If you do not have access to view parent portal updates, ask the Site Tech/Power User at your school for access.

IMPORTANT! Parent Portal Updates is a separate security role. If the staff member is currently assigned to another security role, Parent Portal Updates must be selected in addition to the existing role.

Power Users must also assign themselves the Parent Portal Updates role.

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Identifying Students with Updates

The first step to approving changes submitted by the parent/guardian is identifying those students who have updates.

1. From the Start Page, locate the Notification folder in the Navigation toolbar.

A number appearing above the folder indicates the number of students with updated information ready for review.

2. Click the folder to open the Parent Portal Updates notification.

This Notification includes the number of students who are ready for review, and a link to the report that lists the students.

3. Click Parent Portal Updates – Ready for Review to open the run report page.

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4. On the Run sqlReport page, click Submit to launch the report.

Once the report opens, you’ll notice that just like other PowerSchool reports, you have several options to select:

If this report lists multiple students, click Make Current Selection. This will allow you to work with this group of students without having to search for them individually.

Click the individual Student Number link. This will open the student page in a new tab.

BEST PRACTICE! Before you select either option, check to see if Yes appears in the Address Changed column, this is a visual cue for you to notify the parent to bring in proof of residence prior to accepting their updates.

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Review and Accept Updates to Student

Information

1. From the main menu on the Student Page, select Parent Portal Updates.

The Parent Portal Updates page displays information that has been updated and submitted by the parent/guardian in the Parent Portal.

Please review this information carefully before accepting the updates and applying them to PowerSchool.

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REMINDER! Parent/guardians are required to provide documentation for certain changes to the student information. Do not accept any changes if the parent/guardian has not provided the required documentation.

The parent/guardian will be notified via email after you have accepted and applied the changes to PowerSchool.

2. Click Instructions for using this page for more information.

On this page, you will find instructions on how to approve and accept changes, a link to view a copy of the email notification, and the types of documents the parent/guardian is required to provide.

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3. Next, select your page viewing option:

Only show fields that have been updated or changed. This view makes it easier to review only those fields that have been updated.

Show all fields displays all fields, whether they have been updated or not.

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4. To approve and accept a change, check the box next to each field.

You can also accept all changes at once by selecting Check all.

IMPORTANT! If you are accepting changes to the Household Address, you must validate the new address.

5. Click Validate.

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From the Address Validation window, verify the student’s new address falls within your school’s attendance boundary.

NOTE: A Boundary Exception must be applied if the address falls outside the school’s attendance boundary.

If the new address is out of the school’s attendance boundary (and the prior address was within the boundary), the student may finish the school year if space is available and at the principal’s discretion, but MUST apply for Choice and be admitted in order to return the following year.

If the address is outside of San Diego Unified, an inter-district Attendance Permit is now required. The family must contact Neighborhood Schools and Enrollment Options office (https://www.sandiegounified.org/node/434)

6. Click Accept.

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Back on the Parent Portal Updates page, notice the Household Address has been updated to the US Postal standard.

If the Mailing Address is the same as the Household address:

7. Click Copy from the Household address. This will update the mailing address to match the validated Household Address.

8. Once you have reviewed and accepted the changes, click Submit.

You will receive a confirmation that an email was sent to notify the parent/guardian that the changes were reviewed. Click View a copy to see a copy of the notification email.

To make further changes to the student’s information in PowerSchool, click the Demographics link.

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Acknowledge and Confirm No Changes to

Student Information

1. From the main menu on the Student Page, select Parent Portal Updates.

The Parent Portal Updates page confirms the parent/guardian reviewed the information and there are no changes.

2. Click Acknowledge confirmation.

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You will receive a confirmation that an email was sent to notify the parent/guardian that there are no changes for their student. Click View a copy to see a copy of the notification email.

To make further changes to the student’s information in PowerSchool, click the Demographics link.